Asterix and Obelix – playing with languages
By Giulia Raus
Who doesn’t know Asterix and Obelix, the magic duo that stops the Romans from conquering France – at the time known as Gaul. Through adventures and fights the two help their small village to survive the greedy but silly Romans. The existence of this comic book marked many generations and entertained with its witty jokes and naughty stereotypes of many populations and became an international success.
As a linguist, a translator, and a teacher myself I find this fascinating and I would love to share with you a little insight into the nature of the names used in these books, and how we can play with languages and make them enjoyable to everyone.
Read more in our magazine Silly Linguistics and get access to all previous issues at no extra charge
